DAY SEVEN ~ Chui Says Hello

Before we talk about today, we have a little to add to yesterday; firstly we could not find a network hotspot in Ngutuni to upload yesterday's blog, so apologies for the delay and secondly the shutter on the Sony A550 finally gave up the ghost on its third safari after 73,500 images.

Now to today: we left Ngutuni after a lovely breakfast watching a lone Buffalo bull and a Maribou Stork silhouetted against the waterhole in the early morning light. We stopped in Voi for provisions and dropped by Tiju's shop hoping to say farewell till next year. However, she was not in, so we asked her staff to pass on our regards. From Voi we made good time in light traffic to the Tsavo gate of Tsavo West National Park.

Maribou Stork and Buffalo in early morning light

The first part of the drive through to the Ngulia hills is along tracks bordered on both sides with quite thick arid scrub that makes spotting wildlife before you reach it very difficult. Even an Elephant can disappear just twenty yards from the track. We met one feisty youngster who challenged the Landrover to a fight and then felt better of it and sprinted to join the rest of his family a few meters in to the bush, where they had been invisible to us. The only other notable wildlife we spotted on this stage was a magnificent huge bull Elephant.

Big Boy!

As we descended into Rhino Valley, we could see the Bandas in the distance, perched on the side of the majestic Ngulia hills. Near the junction where a track leads round to the Ngulia Safari Lodge we came across a beautiful female Leopard strolling along the track. She walked right passed our vehicle without even acknowledging our existence and carried on for fifty yards behind us, pausing to scent mark before disappearing into the scrub as quickly as she had appeared.

Chui says Hi

From our perch in Banda number four we have seen Bushbuck, Ibis, Egyptian Goose and Elephant using the waterhole in the valley below. We are still unable to find any network hotspots but will attempt to upload the blog so far, as we cross the hills tomorrow to Mzima Springs.